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PODCAST

Christmas Movies Actually

You don"t have to love Christmas to love this podcast. Film critic Collin Souter and renowned sheep expert Kerry Finegan delve into every type of Christmas movie they can find. Classics, non-classics, horror, Hallmark, obscurities, foreign, shorts, TV specials, unnecessary sequels and remakes. Even films that you might not think of as traditional Christmas movies. The great, the awful and the unusual, all year round.

tv & film visual arts

All Episodes

01:42:46

170: Halloween Movies Actually - Shaun The Sheep: The...

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/10/05

On this episode of Halloween Movies Actually, Kerry and Collin get to talk about one of their favorite animated characters in all of cinema, Shaun the Sheep, in his newest adventure "Shaun The Sheep: The Beast Of Mossy Bottom," currently in theaters (or is it?). Shaun inv ents a solution to grow pumpkins at a fast rate, but what happens when the Farmer gets ahold of it and thinks it's just a harmless hair-growth gel? In typical Shaun The Sheep fashion, the sheep gather their resources and hone their

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01:22:53

169: The Apartment (1960) (feat. Jim Laczkowski)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/09/21

Kerry and Collin are joined by Director's Club host Jim Laczkowski to talk about Billy Wilder's Oscar-winning classic, "The Apartment," starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray. Its use of Christmas is not to provide a sunny backdrop for a sad storyline, but as a reminder that Christmas is not always enough of an antidote for people's heartbreak and depression. But it is also a very funny movie when it wants to be. What is the secret to Wilder's success? How did this film break

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01:56:58

168: Tokyo Godfathers (feat. Christine Sellin)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/09/05

First-ever CMA guest Christine Sellin joins Kerry and Collin for a deep dive into the anime classic, "Tokyo Godfathers" (2003). The film was a new take on an old tale, first told in 1936, then again in 1948 ("3 Godfathers") as a western. Here, the story of three homeless people who find an abandoned baby and try to find the parent responsible, is set in Tokyo on Christmas Eve. Is this a Biblical parable? Why the reoccurring use of "Ode To Joy"? How many more versions of this story are there after

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01:19:27

167: Becoming Santa (2011)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/08/20

Kerry and collin look at this 2011 documentary starring a very likable guy named Jack Sanderson who decides to get into the Christmas spirit by learning the ropes on what it takes to be a Santa Claus. He tries to bring joy to kids on a Polar Express, at a parade and by being a sidewalk Santa for charity. Does he have what it takes to be one of the great Santas of the world? Did Jack ever go back to being a Santa after this film was made? What in heaven's name is a Sneak-and-Peek and what is the

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01:35:20

166: Millions (2005)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/08/05

Kerry and Collin dig into this oddball Danny Boyle film and come up with different takes. Collin loves Boyle's infectious and inventive style, while Kerry found it to be a bit much and a somewhat lacking in true Christmas sentiment. It's certainly different from many of the films talked about recently. What invisible signal can cats actually see (supposedly)? What is the appropriate amount of money to give to the poor when you have money to give away? What is the 180-degree rule? All these

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01:42:45

165: The Long Kiss Goodnight (feat. Nick Digilio)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/07/20

Nick Digilio joins Kerry and Collin to talk about one of his favorite directors, Renny Harlin, and the 1996 action flick, "The Long Kiss Goodnight," starring Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson. With a script by Christmas enthusiast Shane Black, the film absolutely belongs in the pantheon of great Christmas-based action films as it offers some of the best '90s-brand mayhem along with some holiday music and twinkling lights. Before they get deep into that discussion, Nick treats us to an exclusive

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01:36:17

164: Christmas In July (1940) (feat. Peter Sobczynski)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/07/05

Of all the Christmas films that have been covered on this show that feature little to no actual Christmas in it, the Preston Sturges comedy "Christmas In July" has the least amount, yet it still gets featured on Christmas movie listicles and has a holiday-themed blu-ray cover as well. Peter Sobczynski returns to talk about this quick little farce from one of the most influential writer-directors to ever work in the business. Why is the film considered underrated? What are the eleven rules of box

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01:19:47

163: Jack Frost (1998)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/06/20

Yes, this is the one where Michael Keaton gets reincarnated as a snowman so he can spend more time with his son. It is not the 1997 horror film about a murderous snowman getting revenge, nor is it the delightful 1979 Rankin-Bass animated special. Kerry and Collin weren't that lucky. "Snow dad is better than no dad," as the old saying goes, but could "Jack Frost" have worked if George Clooney was in the lead, as originally intended? Why is no one amazed they are talking to a talking snowman? What

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01:37:00

162: Hallmark Double Feature: Switched For Christmas...

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/06/05

What do these two Hallmark entries have in common? They both star holiday staple Candice Cameron Bure, who has charmed her way through dozens of these Hallmark films over the years. Kerry and Collin decided it was time to take a dive into this end of the Christmas movie ocean and judge the movies on heir own terms. Did "Switched For Christmas" convince Collin that Bure could play twins? What was the biggest medical faux pas that Kerry noticed in "The Christmas Contest"? Did both films incorporate a

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01:16:29

161: The Shop Around The Corner (1940) (feat. Nell...

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/05/20

Film critic Nell Minow joins Kerry and Collin for a look an a holiday favorite that has been remade at least four times, "The Shop Around The Corner" (1940), starring Jimmy Stewart, Margaret Sullivan and Frank Morgan. At the start, though, there is also a brief discussion on the current release, "The Sheep Detective," which all three highly recommend. Why does "The Shop Around The Corner" take place in Budapest? What is it about this story that makes it so ripe for further exploration in how we

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01:33:50

160: Turbulence (1997)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/05/05

Kerry and Collin invite you to board CMA flight #160 and experience the TURBULENCE! This 1997 thriller stars a go-for-broke Ray Liotta as a maniac hell-bent on crashing a plane and Lauren Holly as the flight attendant who must land the 747 on her own. The Christmas decor on display here rivals any Hallmark movie you've seen and might even be a little dangerous. does Brendan Gleeson pull off a southern drawl? Are plastic soap dispenser tubes just as deadly as metallic ones? Does Lauren Holly pull off

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01:19:45

159: Christmas With The Kranks (feat. Barry from 96...

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/04/20

Kerry and Collin are joined by Barry, the co-host of 96 Greers to talk about John Grisham's "Christmas With The Kranks," starring Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis and Dan Aykroyd. Is it possible to truly dislike a movie that features such lovable character actors as M. Emmett Walsh and Austin Pendleton? Is it fair to judge people based on their enthusiasm for Christmas or any other holiday? How closeley does the movie align with Grisham's tome? We get into all of that, as well as three more movies from

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01:26:46

158: Easter Movies Actually: Rise of the Guardians...

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/04/01

We're releasing this a few days early so you can get a jump on the Easter weekend and so you still have time to purchase an egg dye volcano. "Rise of the Guardians" is like a superhero movie, but with mythical characters we all know and love: Santa Claus (okay, he's not mythical, but real), the tooth fairy, Jack Frost, the Sandman and, of course, the Easter Bunny, voiced by Hugh Jackman. Why is the Tooth Fairy in charge of children's memories? Is "The Ten Commandments" meant to be watched on TV with

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01:08:09

157: Four Christmases (2008)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/03/20

Kerry and Collin watched the 2008 comedy "Four Christmases," starrign Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, two actors who were at the peak of their fame and marketability during this era of their careers, but who made the unfortunate choice of starring in this holiday non-classic. To add insult to injury, it also features the recently departed Robert Duvall. Was Duvall mis-cast? What is up with people who play passionately play the game Taboo? Can you really visit four sets of relatives and play in a

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01:52:58

156: One Battle After Another (feat. Steve Prokopy)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/03/05

"What time is it?" It's time to talk Oscars, but more specifically, Kerry and Collin are focusing on one of the front-runners to win the night, Paul Thomas Anderson's timely and sensational "One Battle After Another," a movie that somehow predicted our world today, with often comedic and exciting results. What does it have to do with Christmas? Well, it's highly recommended that you see the film before listening to the episode, because it certainly can't be explained in a single-paragraph summary

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01:22:21

155: The Preacher's Wife (1996)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/02/20

Kerry and Collin take a look at the remake of The Bishop's Wife (1949, episode #109), the Penny Marshall-directed The Preacher's Wife, starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Huston, Courtney B. Vance and Gregory Hines. While the film sticks with the original's principal characters, it adds a lot of plot to the storyline that does not always benefit the overall outcome. Was there as great a need for movies about spiritual awakenings and celestial encounters in he 1990s as there was in the post-WWII

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01:41:55

154: Valentine's Day Movies Actually: My Bloody...

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/02/05

The second Valentine's Day Movies Actually episode takes a strong left turn from the warm and fuzzy feels of the Garry Marshall ensemble rom-com they covered a couple years ago. This time, Kerry and Collin are joined by their resident slasher movie expert, Patrick Ripoll, to discuss the 1981 cult classic, "My Bloody Valentine" (later remade in 2009). What makes this particular masked killer so distinct from the likes of Jason, Freddy, Michael, Ricky, Chucky, et al? Why was there never a sequel to

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01:22:42

153: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie (2025)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/01/20

The Jonas Brothers surprised Kerry and Collin with their charming holiday offering this past season that they decided to devote an entire episode to "A Very Jonas Christmas Movie." Please know that the hosts have little to no knowledge of the Brothers Jonas and their back-catalog, so be patient with the little that they do know. What exactly is figgy pudding (Andrea Martin wanted to know, so the question is being asked on her behalf)? Is Jesse Tyler Ferguson's Santa beard real or fake? Finally, if

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01:22:47

152: Nutcracker: The Motion Picture (1986)

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2026/01/05

As always, Kerry and Collin begin the year taking a look at a Nutcracker movie. This one celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, so the festivities for it starts now! "Nutcracker: The Motion Picture" was a theatrically-released performance film with an added touch of storybook-like innovation and imagination from the one and only Maurice Sendak (author of Where the Wild Things Are). Does it successfully work as a piece of storytelling and staged performance? How does it compare to the similar

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01:38:31

151: Santa Claus: The Movie - 40th Anniversary (feat....

Christmas Movies Actually ·

2025/12/20

Though beloved in England, the 1985 Salkind Production "Santa Claus: The Movie" never met its high expectations, either critically or at the box office. Film critic Peter Sobczynski returns to the show to break down why the movie doesn't really work, even though it's well cast and the production design is (mostly) quiet good. What went wrong? Just how much strategic product placement went into this? Is this a more or less dignified role for Dudley Moore than "Six Weeks"? How has Peter been

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